A MILL destroyed by fire in Burnley town centre a year ago is to be rebuilt and revamped.

All four floors of the Elizabeth Street Mill were destroyed by a raging fire last October and the charred remains of the listed building had to be pulled down after being condemned by building inspectors.

Owners brothers John and Pino Musso had put their plans to transform the building into a bar and restaurant on hold -- until now.

The site is due to be cleared by the end of this month and the new proposals submitted shortly after that.

As the mill sits in the middle of the town centre conservation area, it must be restored to be similar to its former appearance.

Sue Graham, head of planning at Burnley Council, said: "The owners do not have to replace the building exactly how it was, but it must be a reasonable plan that would be suitable for a preservation area.

"They will be expected to provide something that is suitable for the area, but it does not have to be identical to the original.

"We believe that their proposals for the site are almost ready for submission."

Speaking about the plans today Pino Musso, who bought the mill with John, said: "We want to build our original plan -- a wine bar and restaurant. As soon as we have agreed on the materials we are going to be using and everything else we will send the plans in. The fire has set us back two years. It has been 12 months since the fire, but hopefully in the coming months we will see work starting."

Mr Musso added that rather than reveal the exact nature of the plans he would "let the bricks do the talking".

When the fire broke out last year, a piece of Burnley's history went up in smoke. The building had been called Elizabeth Mills since about 1980.

It was erected in 1862 as a size works for Joseph Smallpage.

Smallpage had several relatives who were cotton manufacturers in Burnley and was the owner of Fullege House, which stood on the site of Todmorden Road school.

Joseph Smallpage had the size works in Elizabeth Street until about 1866.

The next person to run the size works was Joseph Holroyd. He was the owner until about 1875.

The Elizabeth Street building closed as a furniture shop in 1995. The building was then standing empty until the recent fire and the building's demolition.

Police launched an investigation at the time although no charges have ever been brought and a police spokesman said there was no evidence of wrong-doing.